Dispensers preferably for medical preparations in tablet form



United States Patent I I I I Kjell Moe Stocksund, Sweden Jan. 22, 1969 Nov. 3, 1970 Eneqvist & Holme Farmacevtiska AB Stockholm, Sweden Jan. 23, 1968 Sweden Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority DISPENSERS PREFERABLY FOR MEDICAL PREPARATIONS IN TABLET FORM 14 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 116/121; 40/107, 40/312; 206/42; 220/21, 220/41 Int. Cl G09f 3/08, G09f9/00; B65b 1/24 Field of Search 206/42,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,651,926 9/1953 Enslein 220/23.8 3,262,747 7/1966 Kotzek etal 206/42 3,393,794 7/1968 Borin 206/42 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. A ttorney- Browne, Schuyler and Beveridge ABSTRACT: A dispenser for medical preparations has a body with several spaces or compartments therein, and at least one cover which is movable step-wise relative to the dispenser body so that the spaces or compartments which are delimited from each other are uncovered one after the other. The dispenser which can be replenished time and again with doses of medical preparations has time indications at each space or compartment and a holder for a card showing the prescribed dosage.

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 I of 5 Sheet U k l l H I IUWH H I IHI NVFNTOR KJE'LL MO E by $4 a m Nd,

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 Sheet Ill rof9

PIC-3.7

NVENTORZ KJGLL MOE- 6.11M? #fiwou I ata DISPENSERS PREFERABLY FOR MEDICAL- PREPARATIONS IN TABLET FORM This invention relates to a dispenser preferably for medical preparations in tablet form.

In packages for medical preparations in tablet form, of the type that shall be taken at certain times it is known to portion the preparations in so-called blister packages which have time indications printed on them. This system is adapted precisely to the preparation to be packed thereinto and is bound to the intervals determined by the manufacturer at the construction of the packaging.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for tablets and other medical preparations, which is to be filled according to the prescription made by the doctor in each particular case. The characteristic features of this dispenser are that the dispenser has at least one cover and comprises a number of replenishable compartments or spaces which corresponds to the number of times .the medical preparation is to be taken during a certain time, markings at said compartments or spaces showing the time the contents thereof is to be taken, snap-action means permitting a stepwise movement of the cover, each movement of the cover by one step resulting in uncovering of onecompartment, and means for detachable fixation of a card or like means showing the type and prescribed dosage of the medical or other preparations.

For better understanding the invention will be more fully described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating three embodiments of the dispenser in accordance with the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the first embodiment of the dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a section of the dispenser taken on line II-Il in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the second embodiment of the dispenser;

FIG. 4 is a section of the dispenser taken on line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the third embodiment of the dispenser;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section taken on line VII-VII in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary portion of a longitudinal section taken on line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 9 is part of a cross section taken on line-IX-IX in FIG. 6.

The dispenser illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is primarily intended for use by patients for whom a large amount of a medical preparation is prescribed at one and the same time. It comprises a body 1 and covers 2. The dispenser body is divided This type of dispenser is intended particularly for persons who for a long time haveto take several tablet preparations, for instance one type of tablets once a day, another type of tablets at meals and perhaps a third type of tablets at night. The dispenser prevents a double intake and simultaneously permits checking that the respective preparations have been taken in the prescribed order. i

The embodiment of the dispenser illustrated in FIGS. 3and 4 is primarily intended for use in hospitals and like institutions where medical'preparations are handed out daily, It is meant to replace the cups and like receptacles hitherto used. In this embodiment, 15 designates the dispenser proper which has four aligned compartments 16. The dispenser is closed by a cover 17 which slides in guides of the same kind as do the covers in the earlier embodiment. The end wall 18' has a boss 19 which coacts with recesses 20 at the underside of the cover so that when the cover is extracted a clicking noise is heard each time a partition 18 is passed. In this embodiment also the underside of the dispenser body has an elongate recess 21 provided therein to accommodate a card or like means showing the name of the patient and the type and prescribed dosage of the medical preparations contained in the dispenser.

The third embodiment of the dispenser shown in FIGS. 5-9 is a modification or development of the first embodiment and can be disassembled altogether to permit efficient cleaning thereof. The dispenser body designated 1' comprises three parts, namely the body proper which is divided into compartments 3'by partitions 4, end walls 4' and a bottom 101, a top piece 103 having a groove 102 for the sliding covers 2' which are equipped with snap action latches, and a bottom piece 12'. Along the outer longitudinal edges the top piece 103 has downwardly extending projections 104 with grooves 105 therein for accommodating rib-shaped projections 106 at the edges of the body 1'. Raised ribs 108 spaced the same distance apart as the transverse partitions and end walls of the body 1' extend between the edge portions 107 of the top piece 103. The ribs 108 and the portions 109 in which the grooves 102 for the sliding covers 2 are provided, together constitute a lat tice which corresponds to the partitions 4 and end walls 4 of the body 1'. One short end of the top piece 103 has an end abutment 110 and at the opposite end of the top piece 103 there is arranged a locking device in the form of a boss 111 engaging the edge of the body, as will appear from FIG. 8. The

into a plurality of compartments 3 defined by partitions 4. The

compartments are arranged in seven rows 5-one for each weekday-and in each row there are four consecutive compartments, for instance for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. Extending transversely across the rows 5 are ribs 7, and the facing edges 8 of said ribs together form guide grooves for the sliding covers 2. The facing rib edges 8 should suitably be arranged in such a way that they form dovetail grooves, and the edges of the covers 2 should be given a conforming shape. To provide controlled extraction of the covers, preventing too far an extraction thereof, a boss or like member 9 is provided at the upper edge of the extreme end wall 4' and the covers have recesses 10 at their undersides, into which snaps the boss 9 at the end wall. As will appear most clearly from FIG. 1

where the uppermost cover 2 is shown removed from the dispenser body in longitudinal section, there is such a recess 10 at a level with each partition '4. At the bottom of the dispenser body is made an elongate recess 11 which is covered by a transparent plate 12. This plate 12 is detachable and intended to cover a prescription card showing the prescribed dosage the amount of, and the intervals when, the respective preparation is to be taken.

bottom piece 12' which corresponds to the plate 12 in the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 and 4 is made of transparent material and at the longitudinal edges has grooved projections 102 which are intended for coaction with ribs 113 at the lower edges of the body 1'. The bottom'piece 12' which is intended to cover the prescription card or like means to be mounted at the underside of the dispenser, also has abutments and a locking device to prevent unintentional displacement. In other respects this embodiment substantially agrees with the embodiment first described.

The embodiments of the dispenser described above and illustrated in the drawings may to advantage be made of plastics material in bright colours with the covers or parts thereof in transparent material so that the covers need not be opened for checking the contents of the dispenser.

To provide easy-to-read time indications the text should be given a colour heavily contrasting with the remaining material, or varying colours, and be embossed or raised in relief. As will be seen from FIG. 3, the time indications may appear in conventional characters as well as in braille. To make it easier for persons of reduced eyesight to find the correct time indication the earlier mentioned ribs 108 in FIGS 5-9 are raised with regard to the ribs 109. Besides, the ends of the covers 2' are provided with upturned finger grips.

It is obvious that the number of compartments as well as their mutual disposition and relative size can be varied. For practical reasons, however, the number of embodiments should suitably be restricted to two main types one for a whole-week use according to FIGS. l-2 and 5-9, and one for one-day use according to FIGS. 3-4, which will satisfy normal needs.

The dispenser according to the present invention increases the possibilities of the patient to adhere to the doctors prescription and makes it possible for doctors or relatives to check that the prescription dosage is strictly followed. The

risk of a double intake of medical preparations is highly reduced, as already mentioned, and the risk that another doctor than he who made the original prescription will prescribe synonymous preparations or such preparations as can lead to unfavourable effects in connection with those already prescribed, is eliminated because the prescription card is always available at the rear face of the dispenser. The dispenser according to the present invention is primarily intended for use by old patients and others who can adhere only with difficulty to the conventional medication prescribed.

l claim:

- l. A dispenser particularly suitable for use in dispensing medical preparations in tablet form, the dispenser comprising in combination, a body, means in the body defining a plurality of compartments spaced vfrom each other in one direction of the body, a cover for covering and uncovering said compartments, means mounting the cover on the body for slidable reciprocable movement over said compartments between a position covering all of said compartments and other positions sequentially uncovering or covering said compartments, markings at each of said compartments indicating the time the contents of the compartments are to be dispensed, releasable detent means between the body and the cover for'releasably retaining the cover in successive positions sequentially covering or uncovering said compartments, said detent means permitting slidable movement of the cover to cover or uncover said compartments, a recess in said body for receiving an indicia label pertaining to the contents of the compartments, and a second cover movable away from the recess for permitting removal of the label and replacement.

2. The dispenser defined in claim 1 wherein said detent means includes a plurality of recesses formed in the underside of said cover at locations spaced longitudinally of the cover corresponding to the spacings of said compartments, and a boss on the body receivable in said recesses.

3. The dispenser defined in claim 1 wherein said markings are raised in relief from said body and include conventional characters as well as braille characters.

4. The dispenser defined in claim 3 further including a plurality of raised ribs on the upper side of the body facilitating orientation.

5. The dispenser defined in claim 1 wherein said means defining said compartments defines seven rows of compartments corresponding to seven days in the week with each row including at least three compartments corresponding to morning, noon and evening times for dispensing the contents from the compartments, wherein there are included at least three covers respectively covering the compartments corresponding to morning, noon and evening.

6. The dispenser defined in claim 1 wherein said cover is made from transparent material.

7. The dispenser defined in claim 1 wherein said means defining said compartments includes a bottom in the body, a plurality of partitions upstanding from the bottom, a top piece removably attached to the dispenser body having openings in alignment with the compartments, said top piece having a pair of parallel recesses on opposite sides of thecompartments for slidable receiving said cover.

8. A dispenser particularly suitable for use in dispensing articles such as medical preparations in tablet form, the dispenser comprising in combination, a body including a bottom wall and a plurality of partitions upstanding from the bottom wall defining therewith a plurality of serially spaced compartments for receiving articles to cluding a removable top piece having a plurality of serially spaced apertures'corresponding to said removably mounting said top piece on said body with said apertures of the top piece overlying said compartments respectively, said top piece having a pair of passages extending alon opposite sides of said apertures, an elongated cover slida ly received in said passages to be movable in said top piece over said compartments to sequentially cover or uncover the compartments, and releasable detent means between the body and the cover for releasably retaining the cover in successive positions sequentially covering or uncovering said compartments.

9. The dispenser defined in claim 8 wherein said top piece has a plurality of raised ribs extending transversely of the top piece between said apertures to facilitate location of the apertures and compartments during use of the dispenser.

10. The dispenser defined in claim 9 further including markings on said top piece at each aperture indicating the time when contents ofthe dispenser are to be dispensed.

11. The dispenser defined in claim 8 wherein said means removably mounting said top piece on said body includes a pair of guide members extending along opposite sides of the body and projecting outwardly from the body, and a pair of passages formed in opposite sides of said top piece slidably receiving said guide members.

12. The dispenser defined in claim 11 wherein said top piece has a flange depending downwardly from one end thereof engageable with an end portion of the body to position said top piece on the body with said apertures thereof aligned over said compartments, and wherein there is further included a releasable detent means retaining said top piece on said body with said apertures of the top piece aligned over said compartments.

13. The dispenser defined in claim 8 further including a second cover and means removably mounting said second cover over the outer surface of said bottom wall in spaced relationship to said bottom wall to define a recess between said bottom wall and said second cover for receiving a label therein.

14. The dispenser defined in claim 13 wherein said last defined means includes a pair of guide members projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the body and a pair of passages formed on opposite sides of said second cover slidably receiving said last defined guide members.

be dispensed, said body in compartments, means A 

